Brothers, Carl H. Dicke and Allen A. Dicke, founded Crown Equipment Corporation 
in New Bremen, Ohio, in 1945 with an unwavering commitment to customer service. 
Seventy-five years later, Crown is a widely recognised, global material 
handling equipment manufacturer and technology provider with more than 16,100 
employees worldwide serving many of the world's most recognisable brands and 
category leaders.

Photo-https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1319634/2020_75th_anniversary_crown_lift_
trucks.jpg

Caption: This year marks Crown Equipment's 75th anniversary.

The fourth generation of the Dicke family continues to lead Crown from its 
global headquarters in New Bremen, as well as operate regional headquarters in 
Australia, China, Germany and Singapore. 

"I'm honoured to be a part of this company and the reputation we have earned 
for working closely with our customers to enhance efficiency, productivity and 
safety. We could not have reached this point without the support of the 
communities where we reside and our employees, who are an incredible group of 
people dedicated to our customers' success," said Jim Dicke III, president, 
Crown Equipment. "We are eager to continue to develop the innovative technology 
and equipment that will further evolve the material handling industry and our 
customers' supply chains around the world. It's exciting to think about what 
the company will accomplish in the next 75 years." 

Crown has a long history of exploring and developing advanced technology that 
has helped determine and define the future of material handling. Most recently, 
the company expanded its internal combustion (IC) line of counterbalance 
forklifts(https://www.crown.com/en-nz/forklifts.html), enhanced the operator 
experience with the introduction of the InfoLink® 7" Touch Display 
Module(https://www.crown.com/en-nz/fleet-management/infolink.html), and 
announced a line of lithium-ion-powered forklifts. In late 2019, Crown began 
the global rollout of the ESR 1000 reach truck, its first lift truck utilising 
the new Gena® operating system. The ESR 1000 is currently available throughout 
Europe, the Middle East and Australia, with other regions to follow.

As the company enters the new decade and celebrates its diamond anniversary, it 
is working closely with customers to anticipate and incorporate a number of 
trends creating change in the warehouse and broader supply chain. These include:

- Adopting a strategic approach to connectivity

With an eye toward tangible benefits and business value, more customers are 
taking a strategic approach to greater connectivity that is based on clear 
business objectives and enables them to work toward measurable goals.

- Gaining control of data

Customers are identifying and prioritising the type of data they want to gather 
and establishing a plan and processes to share relevant, timely information 
with the right departments and individuals at the right time. Data is presented 
in a manner that makes it actionable to create meaningful operational and 
behavioural changes. 

- Exploring flexible approaches to automation

The prioritisation of tasks and equipment that are ideal for automation is 
evident. Customers are developing a clear path for a tangible return on 
investment that they can build upon to strategically evolve their automation 
efforts in support of fulfilment strategies. 

- Considering alternative power sources

Companies are looking at alternative power sources for their forklifts to 
eliminate some of the pain points associated with the lead-acid battery power 
source. Lithium-ion is one option that offers a number of productivity, 
maintenance and operating cost advantages. 

- Enhancing operator experience

Greater connectivity is enabling fleet managers to create a more informative 
and personalised experience for operators that is designed to simplify 
onboarding, maximise productivity, reinforce safety and emphasis engagement to 
improve workforce retention. 

Crown looks to celebrate the past and moving the future forward with our 
customers and employees. 

About Crown Equipment Corporation

Crown Equipment Corporation (Crown) is one of the world's leading material 
handling companies. Crown offers its customers a broad range of electric and 
internal combustion (gas) forklifts, as well as automation and fleet management 
technologies. Crown seeks to provide customers with forward thinking and 
innovative products designed to improve performance and lower operating costs. 
Sales and service of the products are handled by Crown-owned direct operations 
and independently owned dealers throughout the world.

The company's global headquarters is located in New Bremen, Ohio, USA, with 
regional headquarters in Australia, China, Germany and Singapore. Its employees 
number more than 16,100 worldwide. Crown operates a service and distribution 
network that exceeds 19 factories in 11 locations around the world. To learn 
more about Crown's ideas for helping customers advance the productivity of 
their operations, visit crown.com.

Source: Crown Equipment Pty Ltd